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Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5)3

Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5) Test

Understand how you shape your identity and make self decisions in about 7 minutes. Get clear insights into your identity style and commitment strength to guide counseling, coaching, or growth.

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Questions: 367 minutes

08:30

September 1, 2026

September 1, 2026
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

24,009 views

2,348 completions

1,901 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

3/5

Commitment (C)

Commitment measures how clearly defined and stable your core values, beliefs, and life-direction commitments are.

Low commitment

Moderate commitment

High commitment

1 – 1.52: Low commitment | 1.53 – 2.84: Moderate commitment | 2.85 – 5: High commitment

A score of 3 falls in the High commitment range, suggesting relatively stable and clearly held commitments that support a defined sense of identity.

example score

3/5

Diffuse-Avoidant Style (DAS)

Measures the tendency to avoid or delay identity-related decisions and rely on situational demands rather than stable self-directed commitments.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 1.52: Low | 1.53 – 2.84: Moderate | 2.85 – 5: High

A score of 3 falls in the High range, suggesting you more often postpone decisions and let circumstances guide choices rather than following a consistent self-defined direction.

example score

3/5

Normative Style (NS)

Measures the extent to which a person adopts and maintains goals, values, and standards from important people or groups, preferring stability over uncertainty.

Low normative

Moderate normative

High normative

1 – 2.13: Low normative | 2.14 – 3.39: Moderate normative | 3.4 – 5: High normative

A score of 3 indicates a moderate tendency to rely on established expectations and maintain current self-views while still showing some flexibility when circumstances change.

example score

3/5

Informational Style (IS)

Measures the extent to which a person actively seeks and critically evaluates self-relevant information to guide identity decisions.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 3.06: Low | 3.07 – 4.24: Moderate | 4.25 – 5: High

A score of 3 indicates a generally lower tendency to use an informational approach, suggesting less consistent self-reflection and active feedback-seeking when forming identity-related views.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Students exploring identity

41%OF USERS

Often taken by teens and young adults who want to understand how they form beliefs, make choices, and commit to goals during key life transitions.

Adults in life transitions

34%OF USERS

Common among people facing career, relationship, or values shifts who want clarity on their decision-making style and sense of self.

Counselors and educators

25%OF USERS

Used by psychologists, coaches, and school staff to quickly map a client’s identity style and tailor guidance or support.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Commitment (C)

Average

3.7

Normal range

3.2 — 4.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Diffuse-Avoidant Style (DS)

Average

3.2

Normal range

2.6 — 3.8

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Normative style (Ns)

Average

2.9

Normal range

2.4 — 3.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Informational style (Is)

Average

3.5

Normal range

2.8 — 4.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

You will be presented with a series of statements about beliefs, attitudes, and/or ways of solving problems. Please read each statement carefully and indicate how well it describes you. Select the response option that best applies to you. There are no right or wrong answers.

- Not at all like me
- Mostly not like me
- Somewhere in between
- Mostly like me
- Describes me very well
- Not at all like me
- Somewhat unlike me
- Neither like nor unlike me
- Somewhat like me
- Describes me very accurately
- Not at all like me
- Mostly not like me
- Somewhere in between
- Mostly like me
- Describes me very accurately

These are 3 of the 36 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5) Test - Symptoms and Signs

identity

identity status

This measure is designed to evaluate individual differences in how people process self-relevant information and make identity-related decisions. The Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5) is a self-report questionnaire used to characterize common identity-processing orientations in clinical, counseling, and research settings.

It consists of 36 items and typically takes about 7 minutes to complete. Item content targets the extent to which an individual tends to seek and evaluate information, rely on internalized standards and expectations, or avoid or delay decisions about self-definition; it also includes an index of commitment to personal values and goals.

Results from the Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5) are generally interpreted as dimensional scores that may inform case conceptualization, developmental formulation, and treatment planning when considered alongside interview data and other assessment findings.

Literature: Berzonsky, M. D., Soenens, B., Luyckx, K., Smits, I., Papini, D. R., & Goossens, L. Development and validation of the revised Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5): Factor structure, reliability, and validity. Psychological Assessment. 2013.; Erikson, E. H. Identity: Youth and crisis. W. W. Norton. 1968.; Marcia, J. E. Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1966.; Zimbardo, P. G., & Boyd, J. N. Putting time in perspective: A valid, reliable individual-differences metric. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1999.